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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27619310">the world is on fire (we're out of time)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaytriestowrite/pseuds/jaytriestowrite'>jaytriestowrite</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>through hell i'll run (to be by your side) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>K-pop, NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - War, Angst, Death, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Hope you enjoy, Huang Ren Jun-centric, I cried writing this, Implied/Referenced Sex, M/M, Mentioned Seo Changbin, Multi, Noren, Other, Polyamory, Sad Ending, So much angst, Some Graphic Violence, This will be sad, You Will Too, for a tiny second, i swear i actually love them, injuries, lapslock, like barely - Freeform, maybe 2 times, norenmin, renmin, some mentions of nct mark, tagging just to be safe, they don't deserve this, you will need tissues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 03:40:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,122</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27619310</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaytriestowrite/pseuds/jaytriestowrite</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <br/>
  <i>in the midst of the quietness</i>
  <br/>
  <i>when the morning comes</i>
  <br/>
  <i>it will be like a dream</i>
</p><p> </p><p>time is running out.</p><p>---</p><p>bombs start falling on their doomed city, and renjun abandons escape to find his lovers, knowing it's a death sentence, hoping to be with them before time runs out. </p><p>---</p><p>"i'll see you tomorrow morning"<br/>"goodnight, my loves"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>through hell i'll run (to be by your side) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716448</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the world is on fire (we're out of time)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a companion to my previous changlix fic, but you don't have to read that to understand this. The simple backstory is that norenmin are soldiers fighting an unnamed war, posted to an unnamed city. The enemies ordered the city to be wiped out, so they were bombed. The fic starts when the bombing stops.</p><p>I winged this entire story and somehow it turned into mega angst. Also I wrote this instead of my research paper HAHA i have wonderful self control.</p><p>I did zero research for this fic so it's probably completely inaccurate and doesn't make much sense in terms of war. I didn't set this in a specific time period, either.</p><p>Anyway I hope you have tissues ready, because you'll need them.</p><p>(Song is Where the sea sleeps by Day6-Even of Day)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>renjun can feel the ground rumble beneath him as he races through the crumbling buildings. blood roars hot in his ears as he heaves shuddering breaths, weapon banging painfully against his back. he can hear his comrades screaming for him to come back- <em>‘come back, it’s not safe, we need to leave’</em>- but he can’t. jeno and jaemin are still here, somewhere. he can’t go without them. he <em>won’t</em> go without them.</p><p>he vaguely registers their commander ordering the rest of them to leave him behind- <em>‘blasted idiot, this is suicide, he’s not going to make it back alive’</em>- and renjun knows he won’t, and he doesn’t fault them for leaving. they all have lives, people to get back to from this burning hell, but renjun doesn’t. his entire world was here, somewhere in this doomed city, condemned to death. in his head, he wishes them well, hopes they make it out.</p><p>the air is thick with ash and smoke, and renjun can hardly see. his chest screams from the exertion of running through cracked arches and collapsed alleyways, and he sucks in a deep breath to soothe it, accidentally swallowing a mouthful of blackened air. he chokes and retches, and puddles of black and red form beneath his feet. he doesn’t care. he keeps running.</p><p>jeno and jaemin had been at the clocktower when the three of them parted ways. renjun knows where it is like he knows the beats of their hearts, because in the last month of being posted to this town, it had been <em>their</em> place. the old building with its rusted bell and worn stones, where they hid from the war that raged beyond the city walls, perched high above the ground. they were almost like birds. they were almost free.</p><p>renjun is stumbling now. He thinks he might have sprained an ankle, or maybe he hit his head, but he knows he’s close. he’s so close, he can feel his heart pounding in anticipation. or maybe that’s just the fear that he’s too late.</p><p>the cobbled walkway is a ravaged mess. renjun can see where the shells hit the ground, can see the bloodied corpses littering the city square. but he still has hope, because the clocktower still stands.</p><p>it’s pure adrenaline that allows renjun to shove the solid wood doors open, and he almost laughs. jeno and jaemin would have had the biggest laugh, they used to tease him about his skinny arms- <em>‘our little shoulder gangster, that door is so heavy even jaehyun-hyung had trouble opening it, how are you going to kick it down’</em>- but they aren’t here to see it, and the thought sobers renjun quickly. he eyes the unending spiral of stairs, knows that jeno and jaemin are somewhere above him, almost within reach.</p><p>there is a smear of blood on the staircase, but renjun ignores it. there were plenty of people in the square; maybe someone had come in here to hide. jeno and jaemin are snipers, so they would be at the top of the clocktower, relatively safe from any fighting below. he hopes so, anyway.</p><p>renjun is panting by the time he reaches the top of the stairs. what a pity, he used to be able to make it up the quickest, to jeno’s disappointment, competitive ass, though he suspecting jaemin was letting him win so that they could give him congratulatory kisses- <em>‘but what if I want kisses too, nana?’</em>- even though he claimed he wasn’t.</p><p>renjun’s eyes dart about the familiar room. it looks less familiar now, covered in dust and grime, bereft of the soft atmosphere of warm kisses and stolen nights.</p><p>“jeno?” he calls, voice cracking and hoarse. “jaemin?”</p><p>he braces his hand against the wall, struggling for air- <em>‘when did it get this hard to breathe?’</em>- then leaps away when he feels blood and flesh slick between his fingers.</p><p>
  <em>no no no.</em>
</p><p>a soft groan comes from the shadow under the windowsill. renjun remembers that alcove, remembers heated kisses and wandering hands and breathless gasps when they got carried away- <em>‘in-injunnie, slow down a little, baby’</em>- but there is none of that now.</p><p>the alcove is dark, but renjun can see the silhouette of two figures huddled together. for a moment, renjun almost believes it’s two nights ago, when jeno and jaemin had dragged him up here after his shift on watch, to steal a few moments together as a rainstorm passed over the city, cocooned under a soft blanket jeno had won from their comrade, minhyung, renjun gently squished between jeno and jaemin, his head tucked under jeno’s chin and jaemin curled around them both. but the sky does not sparkle with shining stars and silver moonlight as it did that night. it glows, instead, with vengeful flames and coal-black ash. the roar of explosions and collapsing buildings ring in his ears instead of the calming patter of rain on stone. and the two figures aren’t moving.</p><p>renjun limps over to them, chest tight with fear and denial- <em>‘the clocktower is still standing, we still have time, don’t we still have time’</em>- trying to say their names, but the words are choked in his throat, and all that comes out is an anguished cry.</p><p>“injunnie?”</p><p>the voice is a whisper, barely audible over the sounds of war below them, but renjun knows immediately that it came from jaemin. renjun feels tears of relief pool in his eyes- <em>‘i knew we still had time, we still have time’</em>- as he drags himself towards them.</p><p>“we’ll see him soon, baby, don’t worry,” jeno says, voice raspy but comforting. “we’ll be okay soon, you’ll see.”</p><p>“no, no,” jaemin breaks off to cough weakly, “injunnie.” talking seems to take too much effort, and he raises a shaky hand to point to the stairwell instead.</p><p>renjun feels his heart plummet into his broken combat boots as jeno turns his head to look where jaemin is pointing.  he crawls- <em>‘huh, when did i start crawling? i was definitely still walking a few seconds ago’</em>- towards them, and almost sobs when he feels jeno’s arm curl around him.</p><p>“injunnie, you’re hurt, baby.”</p><p>jeno’s big, round eyes, are full of worry when renjun’s gaze meets them. his hands drift across renjun’s torso, and renjun gasps, wondering why he feels pain and not butterflies. he looks down, and sees several pieces of shrapnel lodged in his stomach. jeno retracts his hand quickly, muttering an apology moving it to cup renjun’s cheek instead. he looks deep into renjun’s eyes, and renjun thinks his grip is oddly firm, almost as though he was trying to hide something from him. renjun breaks eye contact, looks down at the bodies sprawled under him, and nearly collapses. matching holes are torn through both jeno’s and jaemin’s chests. it’s fatal, and renjun hates his medic training for letting him know that. but they’re both still breathing now. if it were fatal, they would be dead. maybe he’s wrong, maybe they still have time, maybe they’ll be a miracle.</p><p>“i couldn’t protect him, i couldn’t shield him,” jeno rambles. “i tried to hide him, but they shot through me. i tried to protect him, i’m sorry injunnie.”</p><p>renjun shakes his head, places his palms against both their chests. their hearts are still beating, but it’s wrong, all wrong. too slow, too uneven.</p><p>jaemin’s eyes are cloudy, but he lifts a hand and drops it over renjun’s. “are you an angel?” he asks, a ghost of his flirty smile flickering across bloodstained lips. then he breaks into another coughing fit, blood bubbling out to stain his teeth. crimson mixes with tears, and renjun realises he’s crying.</p><p>“don’t cry, angel,” jaemin croaks out, and renjun thinks he’s beautiful despite the blood and ash matted across his face. “we’re all here.”</p><p>they know, then. jeno’s eyes are sad, and jaemin’s smile is bittersweet. their bodies are slumped in resignation.</p><p><em>but there’s still time!</em> renjun wants to scream. <em>the clocktower is still standing, so we still have time!</em></p><p>but that’s irrational. the adrenaline is wearing off now, and renjun can feel the pain in his stomach. it’s almost as bad as the pain in his heart. he releases an anguished yell as he falls forward, into the space between jeno and jaemin. he still fits in perfectly. it’s poetic. renjun hates the universe for it.</p><p><em>we were supposed to have more time</em>, he thinks. jeno tucks renjun into his chest, mindful of the shrapnel in his torso as he drapes an arm limply across his body. jaemin tilts his head and presses a kiss against the corner of renjun’s mouth, too weak to turn further to kiss him properly. renjun still has some strength, though, so he chases after jaemin’s lips and kisses him deep and slow. he tastes like iron and goodbyes.</p><p>“i want kisses too, nana,” jeno whines. renjun laughs, despite himself.</p><p>jaemin laughs too, albeit softer, and reaches across renjun to pull jeno closer. jeno hovers over them both and kisses jaemin gently, always so gently. renjun touches his hands to their chests, feeling their heartbeats. they’re not right, but at least they’re there. the clocktower still stands, and their hearts still beat. they still have time.</p><p>renjun realises jaemin must not be entirely conscious. he doesn’t seem to notice the shrapnel buried in renjun’s stomach when he tries to rest his hand against it- <em>‘injunnie, have you been working out? your tummy isn’t soft anymore’</em>- and he doesn’t react to renjun’s gasp of pain, cuddling closer instead.</p><p>distantly, renjun wonders if he could get some morphine, then remembers that he gave his supply to changbin at the gate. jeno and jaemin are probably still conscious because they already used theirs. <em>ah, well, at least it’ll be over soon.</em></p><p>jaemin’s eyes are distant when jeno pulls away. he curls around renjun, burying his head in the crook of his neck, as jeno leans down and kisses renjun too. renjun realises jeno is recreating their bedtime ritual. he wants to smile, and he wants to cry. he wonders why he hadn’t noticed that earlier.</p><p>“goodnight,” jaemin whispers as he does every night, voice drifting off. “i’ll see you in the morning.”</p><p>jeno cards a hand through jaemin’s hair and whispers a goodnight back- <em>‘i’ll see you soon, my nana’</em>- and then turns his gaze to renjun.</p><p>“sing me a lullaby so we’ll have sweet dreams?” he asks, eyes wide and hopeful, just as they were every night. renjun never could say no to those eyes.</p><p>renjun places one hand against jeno’s chest and the other against jaemin’s, and lets their heartbeats be his metronome as their blood mixes together on the stone beneath them.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>baby want you to stay with me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>don’t leave me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>till the rainstorm stops</em>
</p><p>
  <em>please don’t let go of my hand and stay by my side</em>
</p><p>
  <em>in the midst of the quietness</em>
</p><p>
  <em>when the morning comes</em>
</p><p>
  <em>it will be like a dream</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>it’s jeno’s heartbeat that stops first. renjun’s voice stumbles when he feels his chest still, but jaemin, unaware, whines- <em>‘injunnie, don’t stop’</em>- so he continues, voice unstable, but jaemin hums contentedly and wraps his fingers around jeno’s lifeless hands.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>i want to go with you</em>
</p><p>
  <em>to the place where the waves end</em>
</p><p>
  <em>don’t go, don’t leave me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i’m not sure I can endure this ocean alone</em>
</p><p> </p><p>renjun can tell time is running out. the clocktower is swaying a little, and jaemin’s heart is slow, impossibly slow. his throat closes up, and he can’t sing any longer.</p><p>“thank you, injunnie,” jaemin says, his voice suddenly strong, a blinding smile on his face. and then renjun watches as the light leaves his eyes. only then do the tears come. he lies like that, squeezed between his two dead lovers, heaving silent sobs, as the whistle of bombs start again. the impact feels closer this time, feels stronger. he closes his eyes, hoping to fall sleep. time stretches out.</p><p>renjun feels the ground underneath him shake, hard. it slants, and renjun feels himself slide across the ground. he groans and opens his eyes. the sky outside is orange, and he wonders why the sunrise is so bright. jeno and jaemin tumble with him across the ground and he groans, wondering why they haven’t woken up- <em>‘I know we like to sleep in, but the commander is going to kill us’</em>- then sees jaemin’s empty eyes and remembers.</p><p>there is one more explosion, and renjun can feel the heat of it radiate through the clocktower, <em>their</em> clocktower. <em>so this is how it ends, </em>he thinks.</p><p>he smiles.  </p><p>renjun feels warm, and then cold, and then nothing.</p><p>the clocktower collapses with a shuddering crash.</p><p>they’re out of time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>- end -</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Lol the clocktower wasn't supposed to play such a big role, it just happened.<br/>I'm so sorry I swear I actually love these three so much (hopefull i'll get to write a happy norenmin fic soon ahhh)</p><p>Tried a new writing style this time, hope you liked it!<br/>Constructive criticism is appreciated!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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